Face the Challenge Working Children and Youth
N 21
Download the pdf file here : Face the Challenge Working Children and Youth N21
CategoriesAMWCY ChallengesFace the Challenge WCY – N 21
CategoriesAMWCY Challenges 
CategoriesAMWCY ChallengesFace the Challenge WCY Bulletin
Face the Challenge Working Children and Youth
Bulletin
Download the pdf file here : Face the Challenge Working Children and Youth Bulletin
CategoriesAMWCY ChallengesAfrican Children’s Forum – Ed. 1
African Children's Forum
Edition 1
Download the pdf file here : African Children Forum – 1
CategoriesJeudaCoping with disasters
Coping with disasters
22 examples by the WCY
Download the pdf file here : Coping with disasters
CategoriesCacao Express
CALAO EXPRESS 211 (December 2021)
CALAO EXPRESS 211 (December 2021)
Online bulletin of the African Movement of Working Children and Youth (AMWCY)
MAEJT: launch of the cartoon film “Tounga: it must change!” “
The launch of the cartoon film “Tounga: it must change!” of the AMWCY took place on 24 November 2021. The film translates the ECOWAS strategic framework on child protection into a child-friendly version. The launch was part of the International Day of the Rights of the Child that took place in Dakar, and specifically at the ECOWAS Gender Development Center. It was marked by a face-to-face participation of some GRPE member organizations including the SOS children’s villages, Plan International, Enda TM and the virtual participation of the 28 member countries of the AMWCY, mainly represented by children. All of them highly appreciated the film which will serve as an awareness and advocacy tool for the respect of the rights of the child. Produced by the AMWCY with the support of Enda Jeunesse Action, and the financial support of Save the Children, the communication tool is one of the results of the joint Regional Protection Group (GRPE) -ECOWAS plan. The film, the 4th of its kind in the “Tounga” series, exposes the issues facing children: child marriages, child labor, birth certificate, child mobility, abuse and violence, exploitation, and so on. It is also a call to action for state authorities and protection actors to build a better world for children.
Below the film link on YouTube
French: https://youtu.be/HkrULE4iCEg
English: https://youtu.be/d4AyZ7mS5hs
Benin : a national campaign to promote the rights of working children
From 4 to 5 November 2021, the national coordination of associations of working children and youth of Benin (CNAEJTB) organized a national campaign to promote the rights of working children. Funded by EDUCO Benin, the campaign was part of the national program to strengthen national protection and educational systems to enable the WCY to be heard by the authorities. It took place in two phases: the first was a consultation with groups of working children from the north, center and south of the country which listened to more than 435 working children including 258 girls who are organized in associations. These children are active in sectors such as: petty trade, selling, fishing, moto mechanics, apprenticeship, etc. The second phase included capacity building and advocacy workshops which brought together 40 working children from the north, center and south of the country. The initiative also saw the participation of the network of structures which protect children in difficult situations or ReSPESD. Initiated to improve the living and learning conditions of working children and youth in Benin, the campaign was an opportunity for children to advocate with authorities, parents, employers, matrons in market places and other stakeholders involved in the child labor chain.
Ethiopia: WCYs equipped to carry out their IGAs and others trained on the 12 rights
On 30 October 2021, the Association of Working Children and Youth of Ethiopia provided tools and equipment to 13 working children and youth who completed a three-month vocational training course in sewing, food preparation, smartphone maintenance and in electricity. The age bracket of the WCY beneficiaries ranged from 12 to 23 years. The donations that were distributed include:
– Sewing: 3 mini sewing machines
– food preparation: 2 electric fryers
– Smartphone maintenance: 7 smart phone maintenance kits
– Electricity: 1 electric work kit.
These tools and equipment will help them undertake more fruitful IGAs. Further to that, the AWCY also certified 60 WCY who completed a 13-week training on the 12 rights. This is undoubtedly a good start to educate children about their rights.
The beneficiaries were all very happy with the professional training and the opportunity offered to them by the AWCY.
Mali: training of children and youth in drawing
From 15 to 16 November 2021, the national coordination of AWCY in Mali organized a training workshop in drawings and the production of designs logos on the theme: “the migratory routes of children and youth in West and North Africa”. Supported by the AMWCY within the framework of the DDC (Department of Development and Cooperation of the Swiss government) project, the workshop brought together 20 participants including 8 boys and 12 girls. Among them 5 are WCY members of the AWCY of Mali and 15 are children and youth from Burkina, Ivory Coast and Senegal who are on the migratory routes. The drawings on migratory routes which were produced by these children and youth will be used in awareness raising campaigns and will serve to convey messages to other children and youth on the risks and dangers associated with migration. These children are also contemplating on setting up grassroots groups of children and youth on the migratory routes.
Sierra Leone: awareness raising of pupils on road safety
The AWCY of Sierra Leone in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) Traffic M anagement Unit sensitized the students of five primary schools in Freetown about zebra crossings, and about safety precautions in and out of school. The AWCY undertakes such activities in the absence of parents to enlighten primary school pupils on road safety. The schools concerned include the Macdonald REC Primary School, the St. Francis Primary School, the Community School Saio Elementary, the Diamond Queen Community Elementary School, and the Modern Elementary School in the western region.
Using drama to explain road safety messages, the AWCY helped the schoolchildren to understand that before crossing a road, they must pass on the crosswalk, watch the traffic lights, and in case they are afraid or unsure of the road, they should ask the police or an elderly person to help them cross the road to avoid accidents.
Coming up soon: Calao Express No. 212
CategoriesCacao Express
CALAO EXPRESS 210 (November 2021)
CALAO EXPRESS 210 (November 2021)
Online bulletin of the African Movement of Working Childrent and Youth (AMWCY)
AMWCY: AMWCY Executive Management Group (EMG) meeting
From 18 to 23 October 2021, the Executive Managerial Group of AMWCY (EMG) held its meeting in Mbour (Senegal). The meeting brought together participants from the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo and two guests from Cameroon and Zambia. During its meeting, the EMG took stock of the support for new groups of children in working situations that were identified in AMWCY member countries. Each delegate shared the activities undertaken by the AWCY in their country in a bid to help these children resolve the difficulties they face. The EMG responded to Save the Children’s Organizational Assessment Questionnaire (OCA). In doing so, it undertook a self-assessment of the AMWCY, assessed what has been done and what has not been done in the action plan to strengthen the institution. The EMG also held working sessions on the new 2022-2026 program that the AMWCY has approved with Save the Children. Further to that, the EMG validated and adopted the cartoon film “Tounga: that must change!” of the AMWCY. The film translates into a child friendly version, the ECOWAS strategic framework on child protection. The EMG also took stock of the financial resources mobilized in 2021. Significant progress has been noted in the mobilization of resources between 2017-2021. This made it possible to allocate support to all the 28 national coordinations this year. Finally, the EMG also discussed the registration of the AMWCY.
sidibémaria621@gmail.com, elsakewelou@gmail.com, fatoumattasonko3@gmail.com
Benin: awareness raising on security measures during Aguegues and So Ava floods
On 16 October 2021, the WCY of Aguégués and So-Ava conducted an awareness session for parents in order to rigorously adopt security measures in the event of flooding in a bid to better protect children. The activity is inspired by the risks faced by pupils and apprentices in the two cities. In a bid to reach a large number of people, the WCY carried out door-to-door awareness. In doing so, they visited 276 households including 146 in So-Ava and 130 in Aguégués. During these sensitization sessions, the WCY emphasized the need to accompany children to and from school or training workshops, and to ensure children’s personal hygiene. The awareness session also educated parents on how to help children avoid using dirty water for washing and drinking so as to prevent epidemic and pandemic diseases such as cholera in particular. In their next campaign, the WCY plan to offer soap to households in order to promote hand washing. To do this, they have launched the collection of soap from people with goodwill.
Guinea: AWCY Koundara installs Safe Park
On 13 October 2021, the National Coordination of the Associations of Working Children and Youth (CNAEJT) of Guinea with the support of ISS-WA, installed a playground called SAFEPARK in Koundara for working children and youth of the city. In total, 125 children including 82 boys and 43 girls took part in activities, namely: football match, skipping rope, dance competition, scrabble games, ludo, listening and identification sessions, racing and word count games for kids, etc. The Safe Park serves an entertainment center for children and youth in isolated localities and border towns with high passenger departures, but also and above all, as an integration point for children on the move. This Safe Park gives children the opportunity to have fun and thrive in their community. It also facilitates the identification of children on the move and candidates for mobility; facilitates the orientation and monitoring of children on the move while preventing illegal migration of children and youth.
Kenya: violence against children in times of crisis
“If you want children to stop working, parents need fair wages to be able to feed the family.” It is in these words that Grace, a representative of the Children’s Advisory Committee (CAC) of the Homabay association, addressed the United Nations courtesy within the framework of Dialogue Works. She gave her point of view during a joint campaign led by Kindernothilfe and Terre des Hommes in September. Grace along with two other representatives of the Children’s Advisory Committees shared their experiences on the impact of isolation and lack of support for abused children and the stress caused by multiple socio-economic factors during the COVID crisis. They shared the activities they took as children in Kenya. Alluding to dignitaries including, high-level government representatives, in particular the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica, Grace launched a special message on actions that should be taken by politicians including the making of child friendly policies, putting the interests of children first, and take punitive measures against people who violate children’s rights. wcykenya@hotmail.com
Nigeria: technical support visit to Makoko
As part of the implementation of the initiative to support groups of children and working youth, the AWCY of Nigeria organized technical support visits to 10 associations namely: Makoko, Abeokuta, Adamawa, Whekan , Aradagun, Seme, Ajegunle, Ileshi, Ipokia, Iyafin and Owode covering 3 states of Nigeria. The visits were carried out between August and October 2021, in the aforementioned associations. They aim is to revitalize their associations and empower certain WCY who need material support to learn sewing and hairdressing. More than 13,300 people of all ages were impacted: children, youth, adults, girls, boys, men and women.
Sierra Leone: reforestation activity
On 2 September 2021, the WCY embarked on a reforestation exercise in order to sensitize the population about the importance of planting trees in the community. Numbering 15 children including 9 boys and 6 girls, they carried out the activity in the community of Jui, 49 km from the capital, where they planted 320 trees. This activiyy is driven by the effects of climate change and other environmental disasters on children and the entire world such as floods, mudslides and deforestation.
Determined to play their part in the fight against climate change, the WCY encouraged the populations to adopt and follow a reforestation system in their community, and in their gardens. The reforestation exercise was successful and elicited a positive reaction from the children of the community, who pledged to provide their continued support for the protection of the environment through this type of individual or collective actions.
Coming soon: Calao Express No. 211
CategoriesProject
Migration route project
Migration route project
Ce nouveau projet dénommer provisoirement « Enfants et Jeunes sur les routes migratoires en Afrique du Nord et de l’Ouest », est financer par Le gouvernement suisse (Confédération Suisse, Département Fédéral des Affaires Etrangères (DFAE), Département du Développement et de la Coopération (DDC) qui a décidé de participer sur du long terme à la protection des jeunes et des enfants sur les routes migratoires. De renforcer l’accès à l’éducation et aux opportunités de formations et d’emploi.
Elle est mise en œuvre par le consortium Helvetas, Terre des Homme, GIZ, avec un groupe de partenaires dont MAEJT, Enda JA, SSI-AO, MDM, MMC et SSI international. Le projet est sectionné en 3 phase dont une phase préparatoire, une 1ère phase de mise en œuvre et une 2eme phase le tout pour une durée de 12ans a conter de 2021. Le MAEJT avec son structure d’appui Enda JA interviennes de maniérer transversale sur tous ce qui est protection, autonomisation, éducation, formation professionnelle et participations des enfants et jeunes en mobilité dans ce projet
Since the foundation of AMWCY in July 1994, the AMWCY thrive to ensure the protection of her members including the peers and friends in the various communities especially the marginalize ones.
The movement having working with divers children and young people in the aim to ameliorate their living condition, protecting themselves and their peers. Nevertheless, WCY2s carried out so many actions with other children in their home villages and cities and, since that period, 460 Associations (AWCY3) are active and assuring the protection of their fellow despite the situation of the children they are in contact with. All along this journey of life, especially for children and young people, they are exposed to numerous dangers of which sexual exploitation, economic exploitation and abuses are among 2/5 first consequences attached to migration. Many more children and young people are exposed to this phenomenon in the working place, school, village and their daily habitation. Trending on the information as a result of discussion had with the WCYs of recent about SEOC, SGBV, VAC and economic exploitation of a child, they exclaimed that the children themselves are not listened to and there are many out there that doesn’t know to what extent, how many children affected in their community, existing community mechanism and for those who know, they had insufficient capacity in identification, reporting, referral, monitoring and evaluating the progress. There is lack of documentation of the potential zones of economic and sexual exploitation in Africa to inform both community actors and mechanisms, children and young people of it severity and how it affects many other children.
We found out that there is very limited resource and supports from the government, limited resource allocated for the management of cases, monitoring and referral of cases even at municipal level.
In some cases, the community mechanisms are not known and most of the time, there is timid supports by the community mechanism and government officials all in cause of weak political wills. The responses at the community level is so shallow as a result of very scanty expertise/social workers/actors at proximate and immediate environments of scene and best practices are almost not shared by any of the evolving agencies. Communication and awareness raising tools such as child friendly tools are missing to get in touch with the children themselves. All this are areas where this project looks forward to addressing as a result to extend protection to 145, 800 children and young people, both girls and boys victim of economic and sexual exploitation 27 African countries, moreover turns victims to actors as a result double the number of community actors and mechanisms at community level for the protection of children. Influence political decision and resource allocations for the well-being of children and young people by 2021.
CategoriesprojectsFree voice of children and young people
How to the free voice of children and young people affected by economic exploitation and sexual violence and enable them to become key players in protection, in 28 African countries
A situation of economic and sexual exploitation that remains in place despite the intentions of the duty bearers….
Regardless of the type of violence suffered or the circumstances in which it happened, most victims keep it secret and never seek help.
Limited data show that, in some countries, boys are even less likely than girls to seek help. And, like girls, most boys do not talk about their experience of violence, regardless of its type, because they do not see it as a problem. Victims are much more likely to seek support from individuals they know personally than from institutions such as police services, medical centres, legal aid facilities, religious groups and/or social services, even when they know that they can find help there1.
Some figures for reminder
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Economic exploitation
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Sexual violence
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More than one among five children in Africa are employed against their will in quarries, farms and mining open-pits.
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The current available data reveals the prevalence rate by 10% and above among 13 of the 18 sub-Saharan African countries are involved in forced sexual intercourse
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Percentage of children involved in hazardous work is high in the sub-Saharan African region (a rise to 10 per cent).
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In West and Central Africa, at least 1 among 14 girls reported incidents of physical violence in the past year, 26% in Cameroon and 42% in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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30% of children between the age of 5-17-year-olds in sub-Saharan Africa are involved in child labour
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In Eastern and Southern Africa, nearly 50% of boys aged 15-19 believe that it is justified for a husband to hit his wife in certain contexts; in West and Central Africa, this proportion is slightly more than one-third.
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Economic exploitation remains insufficiently documented, violence and in particular, sexual exploitation are very poorly documented: little or no statistical data, imprecise definitions, non-specific methodology, uncoded indicators.
It is very difficult to accurately assess the importance of the sexual exploitation of children in all countries and particularly in African countries:
- The subject remains taboo in many countries, in all circles, in all institutions/organizations: whether local, national or international, despite their speeches, policies and procedures.
- Non-harmonization and multiplicity concepts related to sexual violence: outrage, indecent assault, rape, rape with defilement, rape with violence, incest, prostitution, debauchery, incitement to prostitution, incitement to debauchery, homosexuality, sexual abuse, sexual violence, sexual harassment, acts against nature, pedophilia.
- The absence of national studies based on rigorous methodology and codified standards.
The official data collected by the police and the judiciary reflect only part of the reality because they are based exclusively on the cases presented to them. The typical differences in sexual violence and favourable situations to which children and young people are exposed are also:
- Domestic violence and sexual abuse
- Female genital mutilation
- Child pornography and sex tourism
- Child trafficking and exploitation of children and young people
- The recruitment of child soldiers
The lack of reliable statistics on acts of sexual exploitation and abuse and the factors associated with them are obstacles to the development, implementation and evaluation of effective responses to violence, with decision-makers and funding partners often invoking this argument as a reason for not funding the interventions proposed by response actors. For the reasons mentioned above, policies aimed at the prevention, protection and rehabilitation of sexually abused children are still in their embryonic stages.
- Little value is given to the child’s and young person’s speech
- Awareness campaigns are rare
- The mobilization of the private sector in the fight against exploitation is not yet well structured
- The degree of harmonization of national legislation with the UNCRC, as well as the mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of the UNCRC, varies.
- The penal codes of the 27 countries punish all forms of abuse and exploitation, but their applicability remain optional,
- Access to police and justice services remains difficult for children, who in some countries must be accompanied by their parents or guardians: this hinders the intervention of professionals in the field of children and social workers.
- The regional socio-cultural context and the stigmatization of child victims of sexual exploitation, particularly girls, severely hamper social reintegration.
- The application of the principle of extraterritoriality, stipulating that the State’s jurisdiction extends to criminal acts, including sexual offences, committed by their nationals abroad, does not seem to be applied, for the time being.
Poverty, unemployment, poor basic social services (health, education, housing, etc.), reduced economic growth, economic exploitation of children, armed conflict, are all factors that lead to the exclusion of vulnerable populations, such as children and young people.
The powerful strengths of AMWCY in addressing the challenges of economic and sexual exploitation with children and young people.
CategoriesprojectsPan African State Accountability Project (PASAP)
Pan African State Accountability Project (PASAP)
Africa has made significant progress in the promoting and protecting of children’s rights and gender equality over the last many years. The continent has put in place legal and policy frameworks to further strengthen Africa’s commitment to protect and promote the rights of boys and girls. Some of the principal African instruments for children and youth include the African Charter on the rights and welfare of the child (ACRWC), the African Charter on Human and People’s rights (ACHPR), the Protocol to the African charter on Human and People’s rights of women in Africa (Maputo protocol); and the African Youth Charter (AYC). Additional instruments and mechanisms on child rights and gender equality have also been developed and established at the level of the regional economic communities (RECs). A lot of African countries have ratified most of these instruments that allow for promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of children. This has led to the gradual progress in the realization of children’s rights and gender equality in the continent. However, there remains an alarming gap between policy making and policy implementation which in turn has implications on the realization of children’s rights in the continent. Many States fail to adequately live up to the standards set by these treaties, thus enabling widespread violence/discrimination among children and particularly girls.
The Pan African state Accountability Project (PASAP) is a multi-partner, multi-level Pan-African project that aims at strengthening civil societies in Africa to hold their state accountable in the promotion and protection of children rights in Africa. The project is overall coordinated by Plan International African Union Liaison Office (AULO) with a support from the two regional offices of Middle East, East Africa and Southern Africa (MESSA) and West and Central Africa Hub (WACAH). Currently, the project is on its second phase which started on 1st of July 2019.
The first implementation year of PASAP Phase II started on the 1st of July 2019 and ended on the 30th of June 2020. The Second implementation year started on the 1st of July 2020 and will end on the 30th of June 2021.
The added Value of the AMWCY is to ensure the participation of children and youth themselves and holding the states accountable for the respect of child rights.
CategoriesprojectsCapacity building of grassroots groups
Capacity building of grassroots groups
The African Movement of Working Children and Youth (MAEJT) is engaged in a 2017-2021 CSO capacity building project with Save The Children on Swedish AIDS funding since. The AMWCY is now expanding across cities, villages, slums and peripheries of African countries. The identification and accompaniment of grassroots groups or working children’s groups (WCGs) are the driving force behind this growth. Each year, the number of new grassroots groups increases, but so does the number of working children and youth (WCYs).
This growth is explained by the important role of the movement in the training and capacity building of WCYs at the grassroots. Also because the foundation of the movement is the citizen participation of children, especially those marginalized in their communities and by the public initiatives of the state systems.
To guarantee the sustainability of this growth, the grassroots continually need periodic and quality reinforcement at all levels of the AMWCY structure. To do this, the AMWCY has at its disposal, both within itself and with its partner (Enda), the necessary expertise to respond precisely and efficiently to the real needs of the members of the GBs and National Coordinations (NCs).
The capacity building of the grassroots groups and the National Coordinations (NCs) should enable to boost the grassroots actions, but also to collect the results of the field exercises during the current year. The VAT (Technical Support Visit) to the NCs is an opportunity to bring together WCYs who are representative of the AWCYs of a country. It is an opportunity to take stock of the activities carried out on the results of the activities, to note the progress on the rights during this period, but also to share experiences of identification, protection, listening and taking care of the groups of accompanied children. It allows us to draw lessons from the collaboration, partnership and advocacy actions of the NCs. It also serves to take stock of the mobilization of resources and their management.
